Corded edge article



Nov. 29, 1938; E. G, OVERLY Q 6 0 I CORDED EDGE ARTICLE Filed Jan. 29, 1938 a i a 5 ke/0 5 INVENTOR 5/010" 6. Over/y ATTORNEY-5 Patented Nov. 29, 1938 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,138,610 column EDGE ARTICLE Elmer G. Overly, Oakmont, Pa. Application January 29, 1938, Serial No. 187,754

* 7 can. (01. 154-52) This invention relates to articles of sheet materlai having corded edges, and more particularly to articles of transparent, waterproof, sheet material such as shower curtains, garment bags and waterproof garments. 4

In aform which has been found particularly desirable and advantageous, the invention is embodied in articles composed of transparent, in-' elastic, chlorinated, rubber of the kind sold commercially under the name of Pliofllm.

The invention is applicable either to hems or to bond edges, and to articles made up of one or more sheets of body material. r

In the case of the hemmed edge, the corded edge is characterized by having the body material folded around a cord and then having the extreme marginof the material folded under to extend outward toward or to the cord. The three plies of superposed material are then secured to one another by through stitching to provide a hem free from exposed raw edges, and to provide 'a corded edge whichis free from creases or sharp bends.

In the case of the bound edge, a cord is disposed along the raw edge or edges of one or more sheets ot the body material, and a binding strip is folded around the cord to overlie the opposite margins of the body sheet or sheets. The extreme longitudinal marginal portions of'the binding strip are folded over to extend outward toward the cord and the four plies of the binding strip thus produced are secured to one another and to the interposed margin or margins of the body sheet or sheets by through stitching. The resulting binding is free from exposed raw edges, while the cord maintains the binding strip along the edge of theicomposite structure free from creases or sharp bends.

In connection with waterproof, transparent material, the cord presents an ornamental appearance through the surroundingmaterial, and is protected from dirt and water by the surrounding material, so that the originally attractive and ornamental appearance of the structure is maintained throughout a long period of use.

In all cases the cord constitutes a reinforcement protecting the sheet material from tearing in the marginal area, the area, that is, which is most likely to be exposed to tearing strains.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing forming part of this specification and illustrating certain advantageous and practical embodiments of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the open end of a garment bag having a corded, bound edge constructed in accordance with one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in frontelevation, partly broken away, and on a smaller scale than Fig. 1, of the garment bag illustrated in Fig. 1; w r

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary edge view of a shower curtain having a bound, corded edge; and

Fig. 4 is an edge view of a shower curtain having a hemmed corded edge.

In the illustrative embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, the bag I comprises front and back sheets 2 and 3 of body material. rial may be utilized, but the invention is practiced most advantageously by making the sheets 2 and 3 of transparent, inelastic, chlorinated rub' ber of the kind sold commercially under the name Pliofilm. A flexible cord 4 isdisposed along the side and bottom edges of the sheets 2 and 3, and is secured in place by means of a binding Any suitable sheet mate strip 5. The binding strip is desirably of the same material as the body sheets 2 and 3. The binding strip 5 is wrapped inward around'the cord to overlie the adjacent margins of the sheets of the binding strip 5, two of theplies 6 and I extending over the margins of the body 'sheet 3,

and the other two plies 8 and 9 extending over I x the margins of the body sheet 2. ing I0 is applied to secure the plies 6, I, 8 and 9 and the interposed margins of sheets 2 and 3 to one another.

It will be observed that the resulting, bound, corded edge is free from exposed raw edges, and that the portion of the binding strip which surrounds the cord 4 is supported by the cord in a manner to preclude creases or sharp bends. When a transparent binding strip is utilized, the cord 4 is visible through the binding strip and presents an ornamental and attractive appearance. When the binding strip is both transparent and waterproof, the cord 4 is exposed to view and preserves its original ornamental and Through stitchattractive appearance, because it is effectively described along a single edge of a sheet structure or. along a part only of a single edge.

sary in view of the description which has beengiven of Fig. 1.' No detailed description willtherefore be given, but corresponding reference numerals have been applied to corresponding parts with the subscript a added.

' In Fig. 4 disclosure is made of a corded, hemmed edge applied to a single ply article such as a shower'curtain 12. A cord 4b is laid upon the margin of the sheet l2 and the margin is folded around the cord and over the body part of the sheet I2. I gin l3 of the sheet is'folded in to extend outward along the body portion of the sheet l2 toward the cord, so that in the marginal portion the sheet provides successive plies l4, l3 and [5 in superposed relation. The three-plies l4, l3 and i 5 are secured together by a line of through stitching llib.

hemmed, corded edge of the Fig. 4 construction has the same advantages which have already In'this form of construction, as in those already described, flexible, inelastic, transparent, waterproof material of the kind already referred to may be employed to best advantage.

The invention is also capable of use, however, in connection with sheet material -of any kind which admits of folding and stitching. The

been pointed out in connection with the bound corded edges of Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The hemmed, corded edge may, of course, be applied to plural ply bodies. 7 i

.I have described what I believe tobe the best embodiments of my invention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodiments shown, but what I desireto cover, by Letters Patentis setforth in the appended claims.

I claim: 7 v

1. An articlelof sheet material having a corded edge, said article including, in combination, a body of sheet material, a cord disposed along an edge of the body; a binding strip folded around the cord and over the opposite faces of a margin The extreme longitudinal marposed. marginal material.

tions folded under and disposed to extend toward the cord, and a substantially continuous lineof through stitching extending substantially parallel to the cord and uniting both doubled margins of the strip with one another and with the interposed marginal portion of the body.

of the body and having its extreme marginal per-- 2. An article of sheet material having a corded V 4. An article of sheet material having a corded edge as set forth in claim 1, in which the bodyv edge to which the" corded edge constructionis applied is of plural ply construction.

5. An article of sheet material having a corded edge as set forth in claim 1, in which the-body edge to which the corded edge construction is applied is of single ply construction.

6. An article having-a corded edge comprising,' in combination, a flexible cord, a sheet of flexibletransparent, sheet material wrapped around the cord and having the parellelzones extending -in-;

wardly from opposite sides of the cord disposed in superposed. relation, with a marginal portion of at least one of said zones folded under be tween them, to extend outward toward the cord,

and-a substantially continuous lineof throughstitching extending substantially parallel to'the cord and uniting said superposed sections an the interposed marginalmaterial. .7. An article having a corded edge comprising,

in combinaiton, a main body portion made of a sheet of flexible transparent sheet material, a flexible cord, and a marginal zone made of the same material andintegral therewith; said mar-" ginal zone being wrapped over the cord and fold; ed over the main body-portion, and having a por tion folded under and extended outwardly toward the cord and between the marginal zone substantially parallel tothe cord and uniting said'main body portion to :saidzone ELMER G. OVERLY,

andinter=-- and the main body portion," and a substantiallycontinuous line of through stitchingextending 

